About The Gourmet Godfather

The Gourmet Godfather, Giovanni Maiorana, was born in Capo d’Orlando in Sicily, migrated with his family to Australia at the age of six. His professional career as a Mathematics teacher and educator was always punctuated by his passion for food in general and Italian food in particular. It was inevitable that these two forces would combine.

John’s passion for food is built on the use of fresh ingredients to optimise the flavour of food. Whether as a food critic, hospitality consultant, restaurant or catering judge or specialist cook, John has had a lifetime involvement in the evolution of food in WA and the independent assessment of restaurant and catering throughout Australia.

In the capacity of one of Perth’s leading food observers, the Godfather:

• Has taught Italian cooking since 1977 specialising on his beloved Sicilian cooking as well as demonstrating the regional differences in the various cuisines of Italy.

• Developed the Maiorana Instrument for Restaurant Evaluation (MIRE), an assessment instrument for the independent and objective evaluation of restaurants. This instrument is still used nationally by the Restaurant and Catering Association for both State and National awards.

• Developed Maiorana Instrument for Catering Evaluation (MICE) an assessment instrument for the independent and objective evaluation of catering establishments. This instrument is still used nationally by the Restaurant and Catering Association for both State and National awards.

• Chairs the Judging Panel for the WA RCIA Awards for Excellence and has done so since 1994.

• Has been Administrator and co-chair of judges for the R&CA of Australia National Awards for Excellence.

• Developed the national training program for the National Awards using both the MIRE and MICE systems.

• Is co-owner of Designed Kitchen Appliances (DKA) and runs food promotion sessions and food oriented courses from the most sophisticated kitchen demonstration area in Australia.

• Conducts cooking and cultural tours of Sicily.

• Developed and presents a 14-session Italian regional cooking certificate course which has been running since 1983.

• Is the food & wine adviser to the Italian Chamber of Commerce.

Past food associated credits include:

• Regular appearances in TV cooking segments in Watch This Space and the Grant and Cameron shows.

• Feature food writer for the Northbridge
Cosmopolitan in the time it was operating.

• Food and wine editor and writer with the Western Review.

• Food critic on a weekly radio programme under the title of This Week In Food and Wine for three years.

• Food Master for the Wine and Food Society of Western Australia.

• Current member of the International Slow Food Association.

• Co-founder and Past President of the Circolo Del Buongustaio an Italian gourmet association

• Organiser and co-presenter of food papers at the Murdoch University Food Symposium in 1991.

The Gourmet Godfather is the Principal of ITALIMAGE, a food and wine consultancy business specialising in Quality Assurance and criteria-referenced evaluation of restaurants and catering venues. In this role he:

• Advises and develops both authentic and innovative menus and current wine lists for restaurants.

• Conducts cooking and tasting demonstrations of wines, oils and other products.

• Organises the judging of the RCA Awards for Excellence both at state and national level using an instrument of evaluation that was developed by Italimage.

• Caters for special events and functions.

Giovanni has developed a special system for the evaluation of a restaurant guide for Western Australia and together with a production team, has written and published the first comprehensive and objective restaurant guide for the state.